If Hermione Fell
by member07
Summary: Severus Snape, Potions Master to Hermione Granger, Ex-Spy, and now a father to be! This is his story of Severus dealing with the affects of his actions and his biggest fear, that he is falling in love with the mother of his illegitimate child. SSHG AU
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.  
A/N **This story is the same story I'm working on (wrapped around your finger) only from Severus Snapes POV. It will run on the same lines but it will have all his thoughts and his side of things.**

If Hermione Fell

Chapter 1

Greetings to you, my name is Severus Tobias Snape, and this is the unfolding of the events in which fate ironically choose me to have a part in. I think I will start with the beginning of Potters 7th year. By this time I had already become a spy for the Order, I was working as a Death Eater to gain information needed for the Order. Little did I know that this was my last year having to be torn between two masters.

I remember being unusually fearful for my Slytherin 7th years, this year. I knew it was the year recruiting began for Death Eaters. I knew many would succumb to the combined pressure from both parents and fellow peers. Most of all I feared for my god son, Draco Malfoy, he seemed to be ruled with the ideas of pleasing his parents, and that was his weakest link.

I can not began to tell you the hours I spent gaining his confidence in secret without loosing mine. After a while it became obvious to me just how much Draco was hiding behind the "Death Eater" act. In fact he didn't truly hate muggles or muggle borns he simply didn't understand them. He played the "Death Eater" hoping to please his father, but when even that didn't seem to be enough Draco turned away from his family claiming he didn't want to have anything to do with them, or their 'friends'.

This was a shock to me, I don't know where the boy found the strength to take such a large step on his own but he gained my respect. I went to each Death Eater meeting and listened as Voldermort punished the Malfoy's for loosing control over their son. I heard Lucius curse the boys very name, and I knew that Draco would need to be constantly watched.

I went to Professor Albus Dumbledore concerning the news that I had found. I told him Draco was in danger, I asked for some kind of surveillance to be done. Dumbledore with those sparkling big blues looked at me and told me that he would place a charm around the boy that would tell us when he left school grounds, but as for surveillance we should wait until we are sure of an attack on the boy. He also claimed that since Draco was Head Boy Miss Granger would be around to make sure no one is sneaking about.

I was angry, and instead of being objective and placing my own security charms around him I stewed in my anger. I was so mad that in my anger I made the comment that had it been a Gryfindore I was talking about the whole school would be on lock down, and with that child like remark I made my exit. In the end instead of focusing on protecting Draco I failed him.

It wasn't long before the charms were going off and my arm felt the burning of the calling, they had Draco. I ran to Dumbledore and I shouted like I have never shouted at him before. I told him that tonight was the last night that I would be a spy, I would save my god son even if doing this meant I revealed my allegiance.

I touched the tip of my wand to the dark mark that mocks me from its permanent place on my arm. In an instant I opened my eyes to peer through the dark room, and there I saw him laying on his back in middle of the room. They had his left arm in a guillotine, I watched frozen in my shock as they used the muggle execution device to cut his arm off, it was horrible I remember it as if it was yesterday...

I made my way through the crowd of people that surrounded the guillotine, once I had pushed Avery out of my way I had a front row seat. There standing before the guillotine smiling in his malformed way, the very look sent a nervous shock of fear through my entire being, I was frozen in this fear as I heard the Dark Lord begin.

"Time to learn dear parents, what happens to your precious children should they not agree to join us. The same arm that should be marked mine Young Malfoy will not loose entirely." After his expostulation he gave a revolting laugh of pleasure and released the blade of the guillotine.

The scream of my god son brought me back from my fear, in seconds I had him in my arms and I was running for the exit. It wasn't long before the Death Eaters realized what was happening and they were after us. Running along the corridors of the mansion I rounded a corner and shoot into a room closing and charming the door locked behind us. I was in one of the many spare bed rooms, and thankfully there was a balcony. All I had to do was get him down to the ground then follow and if we could make it to the garden path then I could apparate and be at Hogwarts.

Slowly and we ease I lowered Draco to ground, in that instant I could hear a group of my 'comrades' at the door. I couldn't risk leaving them to follow us, I had to take care of them. I cover Draco with a Notice-Me-Not charm as he lay outside behind the bushes. In the room I stood behind the door that would open at any second.

The door opened and a cursing Avery and Nott stumbled through. I pushed the door out of my face as silently as possible and unseen I sent a series of curses at them. I could hear more coming so I ran to the balcony and looking down I could just make out the space that contained Draco. I levitated myself down to the yard beside him.

Once again with him in my arms I ran like a mad man for the garden path. Some one must have seen me because I felt the thrill of the flesh of my left leg being burnt. But they were too late I was gone, with Draco.

I don't remember the long walk to the castle, all I remember is entering and being swarmed by all of the other Professors. I remember being so high on adrenaline that I cursed at them and told them back away. To tell the truth I didn't feel I could trust any of the twits. They had so often spoken of Draco in such a way that I believed that they hated him, and would have been unforgiving towards him. I had failed him once so I would not fail him again by depositing him into the hands of his judges. They could not see how he had practically martyred himself and they could not see his bravery, they couldn;t ever understand his strength.

At the Hospital Wing the arguments were diving me almost crazy and the stupid suggestions to leave and allow the Head of Gryfinedore to look after him. No I wanted to make sure that Draco would be fine when I returned and at this point I almost trusted no one. Until the Head Master walked solemnly in, his look was grim and sympathetic. "Come Severus, we have much to discus."

"I will not leave him now, sir. And I'll not trust these harpies to watch over my god son." I threw the words at him, trying to make some cut.

"Surely you can trust Miss Granger to make sure no one but herself and Poppy Approach the bed!? She is after all his co-Head." He questioned looking down at the very person. I hadn't even realized she was in the room, or when she had entered. What was she doing here, looking so concerned for her six year rival, did she pity Draco, did she feel sorry for him?

I pulled myself into my most dominating teaching pose and walked straight through the crowd of teachers that moved out of my way avoiding the storm perhaps. I looked down my nose at Miss Granger and she stood there looking back to me with that same worried face. The same frown and the crease that worried her brow. Still in the fit of my passion I asked her demandingly "Tell me Miss Granger, do you hate Mr.Malfoy?"

Immediately she answered "No. I hate his actions." I could see the truth in her eyes and I was intrigued.

"You mean to tell me that you don't harbor any hate for the being raised by Death Eaters?" Half the room gasped at my blunt statement, I didn't care.

She gazed at me for a long time, her honest eyes searching mine, it was odd having a student look at me in this way, she didn't seem to see her feared potions teacher, instead she seemed to see me searching for someone to trust in, it was quite disconcerting. Her answer stunned me, I couldn't believe how wise she was.

"I would no sooner hate a blind man for stepping on my foot, sir." I believed her, and I was shocked that I believed her.

After a few more seconds I hid my shock and trying to regain my old status of feared teacher I sneered down at her and said "How Gryfindore of you." with sarcasm dripping off every word.

Then right back to my passionate seeking manner I went on "Then you are willing to stay here by him, until I can return? You will make sure no one but Poppy come near him?"

"Yes sir." and I believed her.

* * *

Hey guys for hermiones pov go to my page and read wrapped around you finger.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 IHF

Well Readers after leaving Miss Granger with Draco and Madam Pomfrey I followed Albus to his office. I don't remember the walk, my eyes and my mind were focused on the stains of blood on my robes. In the course of my last three years of servitude I have been covered in blood many many times, this time however was different the blood wasn't mine.

Readers here is an insight into my mind that some of you will understand, and some will be completely on the outside, it is however the way my mind works. I'm used to failure, every person is, for every person has failed and been failed in return by someone else. But never have I had to deal with the fact that my failure cost another person a price higher then it has cost me. I am the miserable lot of the castle, my need for validation in this world is ruled from my past failures, therefore I now am haunted to do as much good for the Order as I can. Because as a boy I was afraid of failing my best friend I joined the Death Eaters against my own will, I had failed myself and the pain resorting from my failure was reserved for only me. I failed at being a 'good' Death Eater, and I suffered the consequences over and over. I failed on a weekly basis in teaching Longbottom the appropriate way to add ingredients to potions, resulting in my constant race to throw or cover the cauldron with my own person, also resulting in some worst bruises I have had to date.

But never have I failed someone so much as I had failed my _god son_. In his moment of need I was frozen in fear and shock. I was the reason he lost his arm, he had lost his future ambitions as well. Just that week we had discussed him becoming my apprentice, that would not be able to happen now. It was my fault and as I sat in one of those over comfy chairs of Dumbledores I admitted my short comings in this case.

I was angered when he dismissed mine and threw in his own. I told him that I should have pushed to ensure Draco was constantly watched, or watched him myself instead of sulking in my anger. He in turn said that he should have 'trusted my instincts in this area'.

We discussed what we would now do for protecting Draco, but first we needed to find out where he had been, how they had gotten to him. Surely one of my 'precious' Slytherins had been responsible, so until we knew who was responsible no Slytherin student was allowed in the same room as he was.

The meeting ended and I made my way to the Hospital Wing and I peered into the curtain to see how things were. Draco was still unconscious, covered in scars and his maimed arm was wrapped in cleansing clothes. I felt every once of self worth fly right out of the window, leaving my inner self just as battered and broken as Draco in front of me.

I couldn't enter that small curtained area, I could not even move my feet forward, all I could do was sit and watch as a stranger tended to _my_ god son. I felt a since of uselessness as I have never felt before, I was a fully impotent creature. This chit was being more useful then I could be, she was intelligent (at least her grades claimed she was), she was unafraid of being in the room with Draco, she seemed completely unbiased at that moment, and unaware that she was destroying my view of myself while comparing myself to her. It is unfair for a person to do this to themself, readers, it's not a fair fight to judge one person at their lowest to a person at their highest.

I walked away from the curtained corner of the Hospital Wing and made my way to my own space, away from everything except a good strong bottle of Fitzmore's Fire Whiskey. I went knowing full well that I couldn't drink my inadequacies away, but I was determined to at least try.

I drank , autocratic Readers (I call you autocratic because the very fact that you are reading this gives you judgment over me.) I drank more then I ever have. There are not many things that can drive a man into such a low stupor, with the aid of the depressant that is alcohol I allowed myself to sink lower and lower, I hated the feeling of incommensurateness, so I numbed all feelings.

Hours must have passed, hours that I was stuck in a blur. My head was just beginning the throb of 'hangover', so when three loud drummings sounded on the door I sneered and poured my visitor a drink.

I pulled myself from my chair and with the support of the wall I made my way to my door and threw it opened and thrust the drink into Dumbledore's hand with a sneered 'come in'. I didn't even spare him a look as I turned to get back to the couch, I needed an anchor to keep me standing (or sitting). I only ordered him to drink. There was a harsh cough behind me and I turned to see Miss Granger, one hand on her throat as she whizzed, tears were filling the brims of her eyes and she was staring at the glass in her hand as if it were filled with poison. I laughed and berated her with a tisk tisk and "Little girls should not play pretend with grown ups.".

I was quite grateful I had made it back to the couch and threw myself on it. In that moment I forgot she was even in the room, I groaned a bit as my head began to feel the effects of the drink.

"Why didn't you come back to Draco!?" The demand came from the girl I had forgotten even existed.

"Huh?" I rolled my head turning it to see the angry witch standing in my living room with a look of disdain but her mention of Draco brought him back into my mind and I voiced my thoughts without even thinking. "Draco, I'm afraid of Draco right now."

"Afraid for Draco? He is fine, he is on the path to healing, but he is going to need you." she answered completely misunderstanding my words. My autocratic Readers, I was not afraid _for_ Draco, I was as I said afraid _of_ him. I was afraid of what I would find in his eyes if I dared to look, blame, agony, or hatred. I wasn't ready to face it so soon.

"Need me!? Why me? I'm the one who failed him." I ground out a bit slurred, but the self hate ever evident. It's hard to balance being self hating and a narcissus. Right now the self hate was way over powered.

"Where is your potions cabinet?" she asked.

"Right through that door, why?" I answered not being able to follow her reasoning.

"It's time for you to sober up, and to face Draco, he is all alone in this world, and he needs his god father, not some good for nothing drunk." I winced at her words, I was being a self protecting Slytherin, it's what we do, hide away and lick our wounds, and she would have none of it.

She took my face into her hands and made me drink the 'Sober Up Potion'. I felt the heavy headed feeling lift, and I listened to her tell me that I should go to Draco, that Draco needed me. Draco needed me, the words rang loud in my head. I was needed, she left and I sat there looking at my hands, I my mind I resolved that I would be there for Draco, even if Draco hated me. I was the only one who could be there for him.

I made my way to the Hospital Wing, slipped behind the curtain and sat on the chair closest to the hospital bed. "I'm sorry Draco..." the words died away as tears were gathering in the brims of my eyes. I had held the blond the day he was born. Been there when he first hopped onto a broom. Taught him to read. Watched him when his parents left for trips to their Manor in the South of France. Watched him grow into a fine Slytherin, fretted over his choice of friends and life path. I was proud of him, more proud of him then I had ever been of myself. Yes over the years I had been harsh, but I was proud of him. "I'm so sorry..." It was all I could choke out and let only a few tears fall for him.

I slept there, guarding him I suppose. Trying to make up for my past failure. He hadn't waken up when I was forced by Madam Pomfrey to leave the Hospital Wing. I told her I would abide by her demands, but she in return would have to abide by mine. I would leave, clean up, and eat. But I would be back to spend my time with Draco, if I so choose.

With that, autocratic Readers, I left the Madam before she had time to put her hands on her hips.

I made my way to my living quarters, the classroom in which I'm eternally bound to is on the same path, and so upon approaching the room I was surprised to see that the door was open. I thought that I had happened upon a student sneaking into the supply cabinet, so as silently as a mouse I crept into the dark classroom. At first I saw nothing amiss, but at the far end of the room sitting at the front lab table was a head of curls laying on the table top. Granger. What was she doing in here on a Sunday?

I stealthily made my way into the classroom, down the long dark isle of desk until I was at Miss Granger's side. I leaned down a bit to get a closer look at her, and was shocked to find she was asleep, and dressed and ready for class on a Sunday. There was her potions book laying flat on the table and her arms were crossed over the book cradling her head as she slept. Peaceful, thats what she was peaceful, and I was jealous of that peace.

"Miss Granger." I said this in a voice of nonchalance, but as she didn't respond I began again in my teaching voice.

"Miss Granger!" Still the sleeping girl didn't, maybe if I knew her first name that would wake her up, but I knew nothing of her other then she hung out with Potter and Weasley and in my class she was an insufferable know-it-all. She was muggleborn, probably a Jane or something plain. I found it wierd that I didn;t have the slightest idea what her first name was, in seven years hadn't I heard it? But then again no one speaks in my class, I don't know anyones first name, and I don't care to learn it.

"MISS GRANGER!" This time seemed to work as she shot up and looked excitedly around the room, then to me. And I gave her one of my many withering looks.

"Sorry Professor." She looked crest fallen at receiving such a look, I didn't care, in fact I was mildy pleased that one look could shake her as much as she had shaken me.

"Sorry Miss Granger? For what? For the disrespect you showed me last night? Or sleeping in my classroom, on a Sunday?" she looked at me confused at first and then she realized her mistake of days.

"Both sir, I was tired and angry and shouldn't have said what I said. And I thought today was a school day sir, I'm sorry." Her apology did nothing to soothe away the burn of her words.

As sarcastically as I could I asked her "What did you have to be angry about Miss Granger?"

"It doesn't matter sir." Her ability to deny me my answer and still be respectful only seemed to irk me more, what was it about this slip of a girl that was working it's way under my very skin!?

"I didn't ask if it mattered I asked why were you angry, now answer me!" I demanded taking a step closer to use my height as an advantage to make her insecure.

"Because you never came back to watch over Draco." I was puzzled.

"Miss Granger, why in Merlin's pants did that bother you so much?" For once I cared to know what she had to say.

"Because Draco doesn't need me, he needs you."

I was needed, she said I was needed, but was I wanted? Blast her, blast her for being so smart, blast her for seamlessly unhinging me to my core and shaking my throughly. Blast her for looking so humble about it all and as firm as the wall of China at the same time, blast!

"Twenty points form Gyriffindore from sleeping in my class on a Sunday, and thirty points from Gyriffindore for being disrespectful to a teacher. Now Miss Granger get out of my classroom." I still had the upper hand, I was the authority and had the privilege of taking house points. She nodded respectfully and left the classroom as silently as I had entered it.

* * *

A/N Ahhh! It's so much harder to write from a male pov, tell me am I doing well? It's so different, plus theres that fact I want 'him' to talk to you readers but having 'him' say My dear Readers is sooo out of character that I went with autocratic, because I felt like he would see the readers as judges. **tell me what you think please I need imput**. 

**incommensurateness**-not even measuring up to common standards.

**OH and if you can relate to any bit of the story, please tell me I'd love hear. **

Thanks reviewers you inspire me to write! you really do!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 IHF

Hello Readers, when last you had read I had just proverbially cut Miss Granger to pieces, it was cathartic to the broken view i had to myself to take points from the chit who had in comparison left me in shambles.

I left my classroom and continued on my way to my quarters. There I washed and changed and ate, until I was content with my cleanliness and full stomach. Then immediately I went to the Hospital Wing. Crossing the threshold of the curtained room that contained my godson I could'nt help but sneer at the sight of the chit who slept in the only visitors chair. I turned around and went to another section of the curtained beds and brought my own chair.

As I sat and my eyes focused on Draco, my mind forgot the girl sleeping in the other chair. How had they gotten to Draco? Or more to the point who had gotten to Draco? I rubbed my hand over my worried brow. Was this how it was all going to go? Where people the people around my one by one going to disappear? Was it going to be like the first war? Only now my role as a spy was compromised by my own need to protect those whom I cared for, would I regret this later?

I was so lost in my mind I didn't even realize that Miss Granger was gone when Madam Pomfrey walked in and began her work on Draco. She turned and looked at me through a critical eye as if she were sizing me up. When I could not take the inquiring look anymore I snapped at her, "What?!"

She seemed unphased by my out burst instead she placed her fist on her hips and looked down at me from where she stood. "What would you to ensure Draco's quick recovery?"

I thought for a second wandering where her question was leading, and in SLytherin fashion looking for traps. When I found no obvious ones from the former Hufflepuff I answered "_Almost_ anything."

"Good, then I have something to ask of you, Draco's shut himself away in his mind from the world, and we need to coax him out, make him know that he is safe..."

"And how do we do that?" I interrupted with a question filled with irritation at her babbling.

"We sing to him, music is it's own sort of magic, and it's powers to comfort amazing. So when you are here alone I believe it'd help to sing. She continued her work then moved a step away from Draco "Now don;t fool yourself to thinking he will immediately wake, he has been through so much trauma that the emotional recovery my take a life time." She moved her gaze from me to Draco, whose face was half in the light from the windows and half in the shadow. "Poor boy." she said as she caressed his silver blond locks of hair, then she left the room.

Sing? She wanted me to sing to him, comfort him. I could comfort him. I could, with time, redeem myself for this sin as well as the others.

So I sang the only song that would come to my mind, forgive me for my melodramatics but I'm sure most of you will understand.

(This song Is Johnny Cash, Hurt)  
I hurt myself today  
To see if I still feel  
I focus on the pain  
The only thing that's real  
The needle tears a hold  
The old familiar sting  
Try to kill it all away  
But I remember everything

What have I become  
My sweetest friend  
Everyone I know goes away  
In the end  
And you could have it all  
My empire of dirt  
I will let you down  
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns  
Upon my liar's chair  
Full of broken thoughts  
I cannot repair  
Beneath the stains of time  
The feelings disappear  
You are someone else  
I am still right here

What have I become  
My sweetest friend  
Everyone I know goes away  
In the end  
And you could have it all  
My empire of dirt  
I will let you down  
I will make you hurt

If I could start again  
A million miles away  
I would keep myself  
I would find a way  
I hurt myself today  
To see if I still feel  
I focus on the pain  
The only thing that's real  
The needle tears a hold  
The old familiar sting  
Try to kill it all away  
But I remember everything

What have I become  
My sweetest friend  
Everyone I know goes away  
In the end  
And you could have it all  
My empire of dirt  
I will let you down  
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns  
Upon my liar's chair  
Full of broken thoughts  
I cannot repair  
Beneath the stains of time  
The feelings disappear  
You are someone else  
I am still right here

What have I become  
My sweetest friend  
Everyone I know goes away  
In the end  
And you could have it all  
My empire of dirt  
I will let you down  
I will make you hurt

If I could start again  
A million miles away  
I would keep myself  
I would find a way

I spent the rest of my Sunday with him, grading papers, singing, talking to him, and of course singing. I soon found I was not the only one asked to sing to the patient. When making my visits the next day I came into the Hospital Wing and made my way to the place I now called 'Draco's Room'. Someone else was there and was singing too. The voice was female, soft and sweet unlike Poppy's. The song was some nonsense about living in a music box (Regina Spektors Music Box). Even though my face was holding the tiniest twist of a smile I made my mind believe it was the 'stupidest rubbish I had ever heard'.

The days went on, in this time I searched for clues on how Draco was taken from the school grounds. I skulked about the shadows of the Slytherin Common Room listening to his peers. I had never known how much my students were like their mascot. Almost every conversation of the elder students proved them to be a pack of vipers, and though none of them came out and admitted it, I now believed that any one of them could have been in responsible.

When I was finished spying on the vipers, I would spend all the rest of my time with Draco, I would sit and grade papers while I sang to him. At last he awoke, and I'm ashamed to say that my first reaction of glee turned swiftly into dread as I realized I'd now be face to face with my failure.

"Oh Merlin where am I?" I started at the familiar voice, even if lacked the haughty drawl.

"Your at Hogwarts, safe and alive." I answered hoping to spare him any fears of where he might be being kept.

I watched as his silver blue eyes traveled from me to his left arm. When he looked at the stub his head fell back to the pillow and his eyes closed. "My arm..." this words that had been uttered in despair rankled my whole body. "I didn't think... I didn't think she... of all people... would... betray me." I watched as his right hand rose and covered his eyes, and I was saddened by the tears slipping from his fingers.

"Who betrayed you Draco?" I asked, knowing that more then anything I needed to know that, and get that person out of the school as soon as possible.

I heard a sniffle and then a staggered broken reply of "Pansy." I watched as his shoulders shuddered.

"Ah, so Miss Parkinson lured you off the Hogwarts Grounds." It made since, she felt betrayed when he had turned his back on his heritage and walked away from everything, I suppose to her it felt like he was walking away from her as well.

"Not at first, we spent two days in the Room of Requirement, she said she wanted to talk out the problems since I had refused the... mark. I fell for it. Gah! I thought... I thought she...AH!" HE was trembling with anguish, and it heightened my hate for the 'Slytherin Slut' as she was called through out the other houses. "She led me like a lamb to slaughter." he finished.

"I'm... so...so sorry Draco." My voice was cracking as I watched Draco battle his emotions, and I in turn had to battle mine.

After a bit I heard him try to kill the tension in the room by saying "Looks like you'll have to find a new apprentice." He laughed a hollow lonely laugh.

I couldn't reply to that instead I had to face up to my failure and admit my mistakes to Draco, even if meant he hate me for it, come what may I suppose. "Draco, it's all my fault. I should have placed charms on you, watched you about the castle. When you needed me most I failed you, it's my fault."

"Did you use polyjuice to look like Pansy? If you did then those first two day in the Room of Requirement where highly inappropriate Professor." Again he joked with an empty voice.

"Draco, I'm being serious here..." I continued but he cut me off.

"Well stop! Don't you see that I don't want to blame you, I have no reason to either. Your the only family I have left, I came to that conclusion weeks ago, so stop turning my miss-happenings into your own failures, because I don't see it that way."

I was silenced by that, so it was a good thing that Draco's voice had carried and Madam Pomfrey had rushed in to care for her new pet. She pushed my out of Draco's room and pulled the curtain shut in my face.

I went to Dumbledore. We called in all the Heads of House's, and I began informing them what I had learned for Draco. I told them of Miss Parkinson's betrayal. I had to pause for Professor Sprout's out burst of "Just like in the book _Kiss of the Snake_!" I of course returned the unnecessary reply with a biting commit about wasting time with such unneeded add ins.

We proceeded to argue over what to do with Miss Parkinson, it was established that we would turn her over to the Aurors. Then we argued on how to get her into custody.

"I think you should summon her to your office, that way we take her to the Aurors when she gets here." Professor McGonagall said looking smug at her idea.

"Yes and if she gets suspicious and runs? Then what?" I snapped at her.

"Then what, pray tell, do you suggest we do to get Miss Parkinson into custody?" She snapped right back.

"Get the Aurors here first, then each of us split up and search the castle for her, after Albus wards all exits, of course."

All of our planning was quickly found as a waste of time as the Head Girl came trotting (she wasn't trotting I admit but it vexed me more that she was humble about it) in with Miss Parkinson tied and restrained, holding her wand in her left hand. "Here, I have reason to believe that Miss Parkinson is responsible for luring Draco Malfoy off school grounds." she said quietly, as if she weren't pulling a venomous snake into the Head Masters office.

I sneered down at the perfect little Know-it-all, then I asked demandingly "And why would you assume such an impertinent thing, Miss Granger."

"I was outside the curtain, and on deciding I'd leave you to doing what ever you needed to with Draco, I was going to the library and came across... her. I figured it wouldn't be safe to allow her near the other students." she looked up at me with those big brown eyes that I'm sure melted every other faculty member.

"And do you ever realize that you yourself are just a student?" I asked very seriously, why did she take up protecting people this way when she was a mere child.

"Every potions class, sir." She answered without any signs of mocking, I however ignored her innocence behind the statement.

"Ah ah, " I tsked then continued. "No need for the cheek Miss Granger, ten point from Gryfinndore." I then bestowed a triumphant smile upon her.

We called the Aurors in and told them everything of Miss Parkinsons treason, and then we allowed them to take her off, seeing as she was a fresh 17 and of age. It was a loud noisy event, since she choose to scream her anger out, cursing Miss Granger with twisted snarls mixed with words like "Mudblood."

When that whole deranged scene was through and I was finished discussing Draco's future with Albus I went back to the Hospital Room. Where I learned that the two Head Students had laid aside the past. Draco seemed happy to have someone else there for him, and I could not take it from him, even if it meant sharing time with that insufferable Know-it-all.

The months passed, both I and Miss Granger seemed to grow closer to Draco, though I avoided her when I happened upon her in Draco's room choosing to come back later, as I'm quite sure she did for me. In this time Miss Granger even convinced Potter and Weasley to began to come with her. Surprisingly Draco's hate for them wavered. He was soon able to have private lessons in his rooms with almost each Professor. But he seemed unready to venture far from the Hospital Wing. It took two weeks to get him to go to the Great Hall to eat, and even then he sat with Miss Granger at the Gryfinndore table. But he was slowly but surely doing better.

This events with Draco are important to the next stage of the war, the stage that would soon striate the heart of someone I now care for, and there for they are the beginning of my story.

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A/N Hello My Loves! We are going to be quite intense next chapters, remember to also read Wrapped around your Finger.  
**Also to all of you who have reviewed I must say it encourages me to write, so thank you.**

Please forgive any grammar/spelling mistakes, I swear i don;t see them even when I edit, so I'm sry for them!  



	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 IHF

Welcome back Readers, well on with it. It was my favorite time of year, 'the wined down' as I called it. The N.E.W.T.S. were over so I could kiss Potter and company goodbye. I couldn't wait to see them graduated, in fact I believe that I was considering smiling at the ceremony.

I only had two problems, the first was Draco, we had him take his N.E.W.T.S.'s in his room, in the Hospital Room. He did very well I'm sure, but after his glass and he himself graduates where was he to go? What was he to do? I was going to find him a place in Hogwarts it killed me.

My second problem, it was in the form of an annoyance every morning. Miss Granger seemed to have taken it to herself to become an alarm for when the mail arrived. Most the other professors found it funny, I however found it to be one of the most annoying things I'v had to endure _every_ morning. She would jump and scream and shout and clap and drive me insane. Breakfast is supposed to be a silent event, even the students kept their voices down to sound like a gentle hum. But no not Miss Ultra Driven Know-It-All, bane of my mournings, she bugged me.

Whats more was that she was sooo happy. Over the top with smiles and laughter. To tell the truth readers I was jealous of her, she was having the final year that I should have had. I was supposed to be excited for my N.E.W.T.S.'s results with the same innocence she was. But no my innocence had been stolen from me from a young age. Most of my innocence was stolen even before I entered Hogwarts, from my abusive father. Hogwarts meant escaping the abuse, which was why my mother did everything she could to pay for it. The abuse that I tried to leave at home followed me and taunted me in the form of James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Petigrew. Even worse was the reminder of my passive mother was hanging on my shoulders in the form of Remus Lupin. I could see the same sorrow and same pity shinning in his eyes as he stood there watching, the same as I saw from my mother. By the time I was waiting for my N.E.W.T.S.'s results, I was also waiting nervously for the beckoning of the Dark Lord. And with the taking of that cursed mark all my innocence was stripped form me like an last pilling of dead skin.

So mournings had become for me a time of brooding, and growling under my breathe, cursing Miss Granger. She had no idea how dirty the world was. I sat there thinking these awful things about her, when in truth the anger was at myself and my ironic life. This morning though i refused to torture myself, when I heard the squealing of "Mails Here! Mails Here!" I drained the last of my coffee and made my was down the center isle.

As I approached where she was sitting I watched her pale, 'are her scores that bad?' I thought. She screamed and jumped from the table, after finishing the letter she let it fall from her hands and began to run out of the hall. I ran to the letter and picked it up and scanned it. She was running into a trap, I stuffed the letter in my pocket as I too ran out of the Hall.

I had longer legs and was a better runner thank Merlin, and soon I was right behind her. "Miss Granger stop! Its a trap!" I declared.

"I don't care!" she screamed back at me.

She was almost out of the gates and if I didn't;t get her before that then it would be too late, I thrust my arm forward and grabbed her robe just in time as I felt the pull and twist of apparation.

We landed and I fell to the floor, and still I held to the robe as I watched her jerk it off and ran out of the room. Stupid Gryfinndores always charging forward without a plan. I stood silently from my spot on the floor. If it was Death Eaters then they would be wearing the gear, I just needed a mask to pass as one since I was wearing black. I looked around her room and saw the letter H.E.R.M.I.O.N.E. hanging from deep blue ribbon above her bed. So that was her name, how very Shakespearian of her parents. I moved to her bed and with a wave of my wand one of her many pillows was turned into a silver mask. I with a deep breathe raised the mask to my face, I could almost feel it sting.

I moved down the hall towards the stair case and listened.

"She's in Azkaban because of you; now that we don't get to see our daughter we decided you shouldn't get to see your parents. They are waiting to see you in the basement." Mrs. Parkinson said in a shrill voice. "I think you should spend some time with them, humm?"

I heard them struggling to take her to the basement, and then I heard a door slam and laughter. I began to make my move. At the bottom of the stair I saw Miss Granger's wand on the floor discarded. I picked it up and slipped it into my pocket. I heard foot steps coming and slipped back into the shadows. The figure of Mrs. Parkinson passed by me and when her back was two steps in front of me I sent a curse hitting her in the back, she was inconsistence before she had a chance to scream. Stepping forward I caught her before she made a sound.

It was useless though for in the next second I heard the words "Get your filthy hands off my wife." growled at me from behind. Slowly I stood with Mrs. Parkinson still in my arms and turned to face her angry husband. I stood still for about three seconds before I threw her body toward him, and he screamed as he went to catch her, and in that moment I hit him with the same curse and he was out as well. Both fell with a thud to the floor.

Thats when I moved freely about the hall looking for Miss Granger, I called out "Miss Granger!" but there was no reply.

Had they killed her? Was she already dead! The picture of the happy clapping girl from this mourning flashed through my head, was she alive? Where was she. "Miss Granger!" I was beginning to panic. "Hermione!"

I heard a feeble and choked "Professor!" so I turned and headed in the direction that I heard the call from. "Professor!" was shouted this time in fear.

I opened a door and saw a long flight of stairs descending into a dark room, and I saw her slumped against a wall her eyes unmoving starring at something I couldn't see. I moved down the stairs and heard her whisper in despair,"Would it matter if I died here with them?"

I thought of Draco, and the devastation it would cause him, and probably the whole Weasley family including Potter. Every staff member would hurt from the lose. "Yes, I think it would matter to some people Miss Granger." I answered as I moved in front of her blocking the view of her parents. I felt sad for her, pitied her. I leaned forward and took the small girl into my arms and apparated with her to the Gates of Hogwarts.

"Can you walk?" I asked and she nodded, so I turned and led the way to the Castle.

She was silent too silent, and as I walked I heard a thud and turned around to she her laying in the mud a few feet toward the lake instead of the Castle. I sighed as I watched her flip over. She was looking at the sky but i don;t believe she was seeing anything. She was soon crying even harder, she covered her eyes and screamed a broken sort of scream.

"Miss Granger, please you've merely cut you chin, no need for such fit pitching." I figured anger was better then grief and I fueled the fire.

"Thats not why I'm crying, and you know it!" she shouted back.

"Come on, you said you could walk now lets get you to the Hospital Wing." I said back, but she flipped over and ignored me, she'd never ignored _me_ before.

I picked her up and carried her silently to the Castle and listened to her weeping. I really did feel sympathy for her, I understand the hurt of losing someone you love.

I laid her down on the Hospital bed, waved my wand to clean her clothes and dry her and then I called for madam Pomfrey and left. As I left I felt her eyes on me but I didn't turn around my job was done, she was safe at Hogwarts again.

I was on my way to the Head Masters office, not really speeding to get there I admit when I saw Draco sitting in front of the Gargoyle on the floor his head hanging starring at nothing.

"Draco?" I asked with concern. His head shot up in surprise and he used his right arm to push himself up and he walked as fast as he could to me.

"Wheres Hermione!" There was panic in those silver eyes, I was taken aback, I knew he liked Hermione, but I didn't know he cared for her.

"She is in the Hospital Wing, what are you doing here Draco?" I asked looking down at him, usually he didn;t leave the Hospital Wing unless he had to.

"I knew something was wrong, but I was too slow to catch up to the two of you. I saw her apparate and you tag along with her. By the time I got back to the Great Hall Dumbledore was gone..."

I interrupted him at this point reminding him that it was "Head Master Dumbledore, or Professor Dumbledore."

Draco batted away the instruction and went on "I've stood out here for last three hours naming every candy that came to mind, but the stupid thing wont move." HE said as he glared back at the gargoyle, who smirked at him.

"The Head Boy should know the pass word Draco." I said.

"Hermione's been taking over all the responsibility's I haven't kept up with the stupid pass words for months now."

"So you've been skieving off your duties onto a Gryfinndore who has had class to go to, homework to finish, and now your stuff as well?" I asked in a superior tone.

"Yes." he answered completely unaffronted by my questions.

"Good boy, thats very good Slytherin tactics indeed." I smiled at him, but I had to leave I needed to talk to Albus. "I'm sorry Draco but I have to go talk to the Head Master now, your friends had quite a horrible day, there is much that needs to be worked out." I tried to move around him but he caught my arm making me turn to face him, and with his face stern and demanding truth he asked.

"Is she hurt."

"Not physically other then a bruise or too and a cut, but her parents didn't make it. I'm afraid of what she will become now." I shook my head and left for the Head Masters Office.

"Ice Mice and Fire Fruits." I said and up the stairs I went.

I entered the all too familiar office and looked to all too familiar head of silver hair. Albus looked up at me and I met his sad blue eyes, and I shook my head. He stood suddenly and asked with panic "Miss Granger? Is she.." I cut him off before he had a panic attack.

"She is well Albus, at least physically. Her parents were brutally tortured and then murdered, and she was locked in a room with they're bodies, a spell cast on her so that she could not hide her eyes or look away." I sighed and then continued. "We need to send a team of Aurors right now, the Parkinson's are locked unconsciouses in the kitchen."

I watched as he stood and took care of it directly then he turned back to me, "So is Miss Granger going to be alright?"

It was horrible seeing the fear and doubt in the eyes of the one man I was sure was aware of everything, and even worse I couldn't answer "I son;t know sir, you'de have to ask Madam Pomfrey." once again I was helpless, I hated it.

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A/n Sleepy Sleepy Sleepy, well I hope you all enjoyed this (thats rather twisted to say about this dark chapter huh?) Well tell me what you think. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 IHF

Welcome back Readers, I now must admit something that will make most of you thing even more that I am I cruel heartless man, but I wasn't being cruel or heartless, just apathetic. After I had given my report to Dumbledore on the Granger's I washed my hands of the girl, wanting nothing to do with her.

The Only time she entered my mind was when some one else force her there by talking about 'Poor Miss Granger', yes it was sad what she had to go through, but people have gone through much worse. Better to have a loving family taken away from you then to have to live with shadow of evil hateful parents who wanted you to die. As I told myself many times, other people had bigger problems then the poor 'Gryffindore Princess' and instead of hiding from their problems they faced them head on.

The almost the whole rest of the faculty went on and on about 'Poor Miss Granger', so sitting in the Teachers Lounge was not an option at the moment, so instead I spent my time in the Hospital Wing with Draco. Sadly his taste in the topics were the same as my colleagues, I endured listening to his constant concern for 'Hermione'. Normally by about the third 'I'm growing really tired of this sigh' he would grudgingly change the subject. I really must in part to you that one of Draco's biggest flaw is his need to gossip like a 6th year girl.

"So Draco any plans for a prosthetic?" I asked boredly one day trying for the life of me to change the subject from Granger to anything else.

"Oh yes, I'm thinking a claw. Give Ol' Mad Eye a run for his money." Draco drawled out his joke in his true Malfoy fashion.

"Or perhaps a hook? I hear women are crazy for pirates these days." I replied in my own version of his drawl.

We continued laughing, in our way such as small chuckles under our breathes, until in mid sentence Draco stopped talking to me and looked with a face blanketed with concern over my shoulder.

I turned to see what had caused him distress, for you would have thought Madam Pomfrey was coming in to give him a sponge bath. However my ever judging Readers, his mind was focused on the pale scrawny form of Miss Granger waking silently in front of the gape in the curtain, passing without making any knowledge that we were there. I find the best way to describe Miss Granger in that low state would be to liken her to a ghost, for he pallor was as colorless as my own, and she held no energy in her form as she once had. Even her hair had lost it's energy.

I turned back to my god son and starred gobsmacked at him.

"What?" he asked concerning my look.

"I know you've formed a... friendship with Miss Granger, " I said nearly choking on the words. "But Draco please tell that it is only an odd companionship you have formed with her and nothing... deeper."

"Why do you care?" He asked with curiosity.

"Please, you, Draco Malfoy, playboy of Hogwarts falling for that?" I said calmly.

His cheeks held more color in that moment then I had ever seen. "She is conservative, but she is lovely." He defended.

"Miss Granger?" I was astonished.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked just as astonished.

"You with that scrawny, big toothed, frizzy haired, shrill voiced, bossy Princess of Gryffindore?"

"What are you talking about!? Hermione has been casted as 'The Loveliest girl we will never get' in Slytherin. Her 'big teeth' were fixed in fourth year reveling one of the prettiest smiles to date. Her frizzy hair turned to large wavy curls in fifth year. And further more in sixth year she got... womanly parts, larger then almost any other female in the school plus her voice has always been sweet sounding, haven't you heard her sing? She is however the most unapproachable girl in the castle. She is far to driven and wound up to date. Plus she hides behind the most impenetrable school cloaks money can buy. If I didn't know her better I'de say she is a total tease. Flashing such smiles then wearing an iron cloak." Draco finished a bit impetuously.

I was beyond shocked at this point, "Are you telling me that you think _Miss Granger_ is some kind of 'hottie'?" I used the term I had heard several times in the last month from the 7th year boys when they were discribing the females of the school.

"You shouldn't say that word, it's weird. No she isn't a 'hottie' because 'hottie' implies the girl is sexually aware of herself and uses that to her advantage. No Hermione is the opposite sort of beauty, natural, and lovely. You may say that one of her biggest appeals is that you so easily over look her at first because she is so... innocent and unaffected."

I sat there taking this in and thinking that clearly my god son was delirious. He must have Hermione confused with one of the many Grecian statues that decorated the Halls of Malfoy Manor. I shook my head, no he was crazy Hermione Granger hadn't changed a speck in resemblance since her third year. I'd always found it odd that she hadn't grown the same as the other students around her did. How could Draco and I see two completely different versions of the same person.

It all sounded familiar, a professor viewing a student in a completely different light, I'd read something to that effect before. I continued with Draco though my mind was searching my private library wandering which book I had read about this in. Finally it dawned on me, Hogwarts a History.

I said my goodbyes to Draco and made my way to my Library, to the third case on the left, on the fourth shelf, five books toward the middle, and sure enough there was my copy of Hogwarts a History. I flipped it open to the index and looked for the page number of the section I wanted.

It didn't take long for me to find what I was looking for, and I believe that in the moment I found and read what I was looking for my face fell, and my sneer went full force glaring at the page. This my ever judging Readers, was what I was dumbfounded to read.

"_Little is known of the personal lives of the Founders, however it was a widespread tale that Godric Gryffindore fell in love with one of the original 7th year girls. In true 'Gryffindore' fashion he denied himself of loving her until three years after she graduated._

_He feared from the experience that in the future another Professor of Administrator may fall for a student, and use their power to seduce the student._

_So he created an enchantment over the school to pro vent the attraction from ever taking place. Using the unknown magic to create the Sorting Hat, he also charmed the Hat to look for signs of possible attractions. How this process is done, nobody truly knows. What we do know is that if there is a chance for an attraction to begin then the enchantment takes place on the student, changing the attractive qualities into much lesser looks, even changing the voice. _

The enchantment works only until the graduation of the student..."

I did not read any further, I choose to scoff and act as if the book had slapped me. I put the book back in its place and turned and left my library. I made my way to the teachers lounge where I was accosted by Dumbledore and McGonagall. Both telling me that it was time to confront Miss Granger and have her begin to deal with lose of her parents. 

"I've dealt enough with Miss Granger, haven't I?" I asked scathingly.

But soon I found myself in her own copy curtain room of Draco's. Standing by the window looking out at the gray skies and allowing the two elderly professors who had roped my into this to speak with Miss Granger and get it all over with. The shook on her face is surprising, surely such a smart girl knew that eventually she would have to deal with this and move on. Dumbledore in his ever benign way told her that it was time to settle all arrangements for the funeral and her future.

"No." she says quite plainly. Apparently she has no intention of moving on.

"That wasn't a question, Miss Granger." I snapped at her, growing tired of dealing with all this.

Even more shocking was her choice to run away. I looked pointedly at McGonagall as if saying, 'How very Gryffindore'. this was the point that I was informed of my need to be there.

"We have tried every approach we could think of but one, and none of us can use tough love on her." Dumbledore said.

I scoffed at them, please tough love hard to pull off? To me tough love was by far the easiest. That's when the clouds cleared and I could see everything they had planned. I scowled at them and followed Miss Granger out of the Hospital Wing.

She was so predictable, on the same walk as Draco told me she always went on. There she was slipping just out of sight in the high grass growing on the shores of the Black Lake. It wasn't going to take much to catch up with her so I took my time walking slightly faster then her pace. After a while she looked back and saw my so she stubbornly sped up.

This made me slightly more mad at her, and the entire situation. She looked back and began to run, I signed to myself and sprinted after her. It wasn't long at all, she was crossing a tiny foot bridge and so I reached out and grabbed her shoulders. I'll tell you fair Readers something, she had the nerve to turn around and glare at me!

"I believe we established that I am faster then you a week ago." I said sarcastically.

"Go away." she snapped at me, and for a split second I believed she was almost regretful of her words, it disappeared though.

I was angry, and ready to begin the 'tough love' and get it over with. "No. You have got to wake up Miss Granger. Your parents are dead..."

She had even more nerve to cut me off snarling "Shut up."

"Your silly rituals won't bring them back..."

"Shut up."

"And avoiding the subject will not bring them back either."

"I said, SHUT UP!"

"They are gone and NEVER COMING BACK!" I screamed trying to break the wall down that I saw she was building in those defiant eyes.

It was quite an unnerving day really, I was full of shock, and even when I thought nothing more could shock me sure enough something else happened. Miss Scrawny Granger stepped forward and forcibly pushed me into the water, right off the bridge, but not before I grabbed her and pulled her in with me.

From there the most absurd water fight began. I believe that when I came up from the water and was still holding her arms I sneered and pushed her away from me, and under the water. When she surfaced looking very much like a drowning lion I couldn't help but to chuckle. She splashed me, and water went straight up me nose, choking me a bit. I looked at her smirking face and dunked her Head under the water.

Then in a fit she tackled me, and by the time I was out of the water she was on the bridge starring down at me and in a passion she accosted me with "How could you even say something like that to me, I lost my family! I lost me very life! It was taken from me, I feel as empty as a ghost, and you take joy in cursing me."

During her speech I raised myself out of the water and on to the bridge, really I was quite the opposite from her mad little scramble. Putting on a mask of indifference to her harsh words I said ever so plainly.

"Your life wasn't taken from you Miss Granger. A stage of your life has ended, but there is a new one for you now. You still have all your accomplishments, and you will be able to work and study in any field you so choose. You will one day meet someone who shares the same dreams and desires you have, and you will fall in love get married and begin a family of your own. You and he can have as many children as you want, and you will live out a long joyful life doing what ever makes you happy. But first you have to let go of the past, and realize your life is far from over."

Her face which for the last week or so had only been a facade of porcelain now held raw open emotion of regret and sadness.

"I can't just forget about them." She choked out trying to explain.

"I didn't say you had to, you just can't simply stop and avoid life because it will continue with or without you, and one day you will wake to find a old woman in the mirror who wasted an entire life." This was all beginning to sink too close to home for me.

"Why are you saying these things?" she asked in general surprise. "One second your flinging hurtful words like a fry cook and the next your... this." she stretched her hands out gesturing to my passive body language and my sympathetic gaze.

"It's what you need, someone had to do something to wake you up from the stupor you've been in, and now that your out you need reassurance and understanding." I said clinically. "Now come, lets go back to the castle, you have a lot of things to work out."

The girl did begin working through everything, little did I who I would have to be the one to give up my free time, and the last few days at Hogwarts to do it all. The Head Master seemed to think she needed an es court, and of course her Head of House jumped in and offered. The Head Master with that blasted twinkle in his eye shook his head and claimed that "Death Eaters are still angry at Miss Granger, she needs someone more able to deal with attacks." Then those big blues settled on me, and I knew no matter what argue I could come up with would be cast aside like wrapping paper.

In the end I found myself escorting Miss Granger to her home. We both apparated separately, as I wanted as little to do with her the next few days as possible. Landing in her home this time I took the time to look around and familiarize myself with it. It was really comfortable, nice neutral colors on the walls, and a welcome feeling despite the emptiness. It was large, but not grand. I had seen better and much worse.

When I once again found Miss Granger she was hanging up her muggle telephone with a sigh, wiping her eyes. I sighed and sat on the love seat that was way from the other sofas in the room, up against the far wall.

"Any second now the phone will be ringing like mad, and the door bell to." she said wearily.

I raised an eyebrow in question at her, she had only made one phone call how in Merlins wand could news travel that way.

She smirked a lopsided unhappy smirk and said "Great Aunt Pearl is always to leader of the phone tree." I was a bit puzzled over the term 'phone tree' but figured that she must mean the lady talks on the phone alot.

Still I thought she was making a mistake with only calling one person. I was wrong, 'Great Aunt Pearl' was faster at spreading news then the Daily Prophet.

In less then ten minutes the phone rang, and it didn't stop for hours. My head was beginning to ache from the ever present ringing. Then the door bell and the living room was packed with family members.

Readers I thought my family was surely the only family that was full of creeps, weirdos, and grudge holding lunatics, I was very wrong. Sitting there in that tension filled room with opposing family members drawing battle lines was about the craziest family gathering I have ever been too.

Spying has taught me to hide shock, so my face was as passive as stone, but on the inside I really couldn't wait to see which crazed 'aunt' was going to throw the first punch. Miss Granger sat beside me waiting just the same as I was, only she seemed a bit more concerned then I was.

There was women, men, and children crying, a few of the youngest running around playing chase. Then there was the ones that respond in anger, whispering and pointing to the others, about the others. There were sneers and glares, and then with the uttered phrase of "Never would have happened if she'd married Fran Locklear when she had the chance." everyone jumped from their seats shouting.

I watched Miss Granger's eyes flash wildly as some schmuck had the nerve to scream, "Jacob should have never married the whore in the first place."

I watched in awe as she stood and screamed at the adults, and even pushed two men apart to grab a poor child who had been luckless to get trapped between the men who noticed nothing. She grabbed all the children and pulled them over to the couch to sit and wait out the storm with us.

The front door opened and slammed against the wall startling everyone to the new presence. Silence over took the mad crowd, and the all seemed terrified of the new comer whom I couldn't see yet. I couldn't wait to see the person whose very presence put such fear into the hearts of this idiotic bunch. I raised my head see shockingly an old blind woman, who looked more fierce then a lion. She looked and glared at each family member in the room.

If you pardon the pun Readers then there was more to the frail old blind woman then meets the eye.

"No one speak a single syllable you manner less apes." She snapped I smirked at her words and quite agreed.

Then in the much more gentle voice of a mother she said, "Hermione, come with me."

Miss Granger stood and walked quite calmly to the demanding old brood. Being told to "not let Miss Granger out of your sight Severus!" I stood as well and cross the room full of the jerks in stunned silence.

The old matronly woman grabbed Miss Granger's hands and said "To the kitchen." and Miss Granger without one word turned and began her walk to the kitchen. I think I may have even smiled when the old woman turned and snapped "Not another word from you disrespectful lot."

We entered the kitchen and I stood at the door watching the beloved habitual encounter of the old woman 'looking' at Miss Granger. It was wonderfully insightful on the workings of how this blind woman familiarized with her family. "Dear girl" she said kindly and then wrapped her old arms around Miss Granger.

They seemed rather close, it was a bit uncomfortable, I was truly more comfortable with the display of disgust in the living room earlier, but this sweet and sentimental moment I could barely comprehend, only my mother had ever embraced me so.

The old woman shocked me out of my thought by looking at me and saying "I didn't ask anyone else to follow." she said smirking.

"This is my Professor, he is my escort. He is here for my protection." Miss Granger answered.

"Of course he is." she said with another smirk, like she knew something.

She moved from Miss Granger and stood before me and said in her commanding way, "Sit down."

I did.

"Let me look at you." she said, again in her strong way.

I reached my much larger hand for her old one, and allowed her to explore my hands, arms, and face. It was strange Readers, I truly felt that she saw me better then any person with eyes ever could, it was a bit awe inspiring and unnerving.

"Works with his hands, strong but controlled grasp" she said smiling.

"Tall man." she continued.

Her fingers now gently traced every strong line and every angular feature my face held "Strong features, I admire that, your quite a beauty to someone like me." The old woman said with conviction. I made a face of disbelief, what was she fishing for?

"Hermione what color are his eyes?" She asked, I admit I had forgotten all about Miss Granger.

I let my eyes move from the old woman to Miss Granger who stood there as mesmerized as I was, "Deep endless black." she answered.

"Strong eyes too. Yet no ring." she smiled at me.

"Not everyone shares your perception of beauty, ma'am." I answered truthfully.

She then surprisingly didn;t answer but turned and starred at Miss Granger. After that though the two began to talk, and I found out that she was Miss Granger's grandmother, Mrs. Granger. I sat and drank the tea given to me by Mrs.Granger, and it was just to my liking the perfect mix of sweet and tart.

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A/N I'm soo sorry it took so long, but I had it half way done and forgot to save before stopping so I lost everything so it took much longer for this chapter then it was supposed to. Thanks for all the reviews, I love them!!! They make me write, they really do!!!

Okay Snape is just being Snape for the first few chapters, it's not like him to just fallen suddenly and madly in love with Hermione, it has to build! More realistic.


	6. Chapter 6

For curtain Readers who care, Debjunk, I wrote most of this chapter while listening to Yiruma, Moonlight. And I swear the song gives me shivers!

Chapter 6 IHF

Hello Readers, I wonder have you ever experienced the feeling of being a third wheel, an intruder at a private party? If you have then you will know exactly how I felt in Miss Granger's kitchen. I would be spending Merlin only knows how much time there, and I felt more discomfort here then at a Death Eater Meeting.

I was always prepared for facing the Dark Lord, always steeled for the hateful and loathsome company I was forced to keep there, for I was used to this kind of company.

But sitting in a family kitchen, at a family table, and watching in shock the tenderness the family had to offer each other was astounding. Were they not the same family who earlier were biting at the bit to rip each other apart. Sure the more venomous of the family had been commanded to leave the house by the stern Granger Matron.

Only a select few were allowed to stay, and I watched as the real mourning unfolded. I have faced death countless times, I saw the Thesral the very first night I arrived at Hogwarts as an eleven year old. Never had I witnessed the after effects of death, not in this way.

When my mother was taken from me I alone mourned, I alone cried for her. She was missed and remember by me, no one else.

This family was killing my own perceptions of what a twisted ugly thing a family was. Typically I hated the very idea of family, thinking that putting such love into a family was wasteful because people die, and you are left alone and hopeless, but here they were encouraging each other. This is what Albus had preached to me about. This was the love he wanted me to have one day.

This was a teasing thought, and I quickly drew back from them in fear of falling for such a false fleeting hope. Instead I busied my mind with studying each person occupying the room. The Madam Granger was cooking with practiced hand that rivaled mine with my potions, that's where Miss Granger's skills in potions had come from I deduced.

Madam Granger looked up from her work and her sightless eyes settled on me, she knew I was watching. I turned away, a bit unnerved by the Madams extra senses.

My eyes focused on the small boy of maybe nine or ten, he hadn't said a word yet, and I respected his knowledge of when not to speak. He sat in his own corner sketching something, his cobalt eyes would shift every once in a while to Miss Granger, and he would look back to his sketch pad and continue his work.

Then there was the rest of them, one man and two women. They just sat crying and sniffling, and trying to give comfort.

Miss Granger's attention was caught up on the three year old whose parents were too teary eyed to watch him. I wanted to laugh when Miss Granger would jump suddenly, and run to save young Heathcliff from about three feet high on one of the house's many set in shelves. This was continued through the entire dinner much to my amusement.

The Dinner was quiet, and even more uncomfortable then sitting there without food had been. I was ready to go back to Hogwarts.

I was beginning to think the blasted dinner would never end, when Miss Granger stood and bowed her head in leave, then leaned down to kiss her Grandmother's temple.

I followed her up the stairs and watched as she waved her wand stretching the beds out and setting up rooms for her quest. When she was done she looked around her and a look of panic crossed her face for a split second before she looked at me and said "Come on then, follow me." as if I hadn't been her shadow the whole day.

I raised my eyebrow in question and she had the nerve to ask most disrespectfully "I do not want to stay in the Main house, so if you will please follow me, unless you want to stay here?"

"Watch the cheek Miss Granger, we may be away from Hogwarts but I'm still your Professor." I sneered, and it seemed the respect came right back.

"Of course, sir." she replied with respect, then her brow scrunched and she rubbed it with her palm, and I understood it had been a long day for her."I'm sorry sir, I'm tired, and I want to leave this house as soon as I can."

Was she loosing it? "We have to stay here until you are finished with everything, you have only just finished the first step of telling the family." I snapped, confused at her.

She looked even more tired after I reminded her of all the tasks she would have to accomplish before leaving. I felt very sorry for her as she let out a soft little sigh and looked up to me with tired brown eyes and asked "Will you just follow me?"

She was tired, I could tell just being in the house was draining her, I nodded, "Fine Miss Granger." I sighed and gave in as if the very idea my kill me.

She sighed back at me before turning a leading the way, I was smirking at the returned sigh, she was very amusing.

I followed her as she said her goodbyes to her grandmother, and I intoned my own as the Madam gave me my own 'good evening.'

Then we were off to gather Miss Granger's things from her room. She entered and I watched from the doorway as she gathered everything she would need.

My focus then turned to the young boy, Lucas I had learned at dinner, who was starring quite intensely at me. I nodded politely to him and he seemed to recoil. How strange the boy was, it was as if he wasn't truly there at all.

The strange boy turned his cobalt eyes to Hermione when she stepped close to him, he smiled contently as her hand reached and cupped the back of his head and she leaned forward to gently kiss his forehead.

I was caught off guard when I felt a stab of jealousy for the tenderness the was being placed on the boy. I shook my head and continued observing the family interaction.

The boy smiled and offered a piece of paper to Miss Granger wordlessly. She beamed! It was amazing how a face could go from one second being completely dark and haunted to this beaming smiling creature. The boy was elated that she liked it, what ever it was. And he returned her beaming smile with a small shy one all his own, and he took another kiss with a smile.

Again the stab, why was this kid privy to such tenderness and I was not? What did he have that made him worthy of it?

I scowled and turned from the scene as if to continue to look would mean my eyes would fall out of my head.

My mother as I have mentioned was missed by only me, I was her pet. Her marriage to my father had gone sour. He was a drunk with abusive tendencies, and when he acted out my mother would recoil from him, and she would cling to me. She was the sole source of love and tenderness I ever remember receiving as a boy.

When I found out I was a wizard, I rejoiced, I was going to the magical school my mother had talked about, and things went devastatingly down hill from there.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Miss Granger brushing past me and leading me down the hall, down the stairs and then out the front door. She stopped a second to shrink her things and put them into her pocket, then turned and said I should do the same. I looked at her as if she were crazy, first because I had no things on hand, they were already shrunken in my pocket. And second because we were outside, and I was not sleeping outside.

"Please Miss Granger tell me were in Merlin's beard we are going." I said refusing to move from that spot until she told me.

She seemed to know what I was thinking so she gave in, "Just down this road here, a mile and a half, there is an old oast house, my father and I worked for years to convert it into a house. When I was young I thought I had found an old castle in the wood, I later learned what it truly was, but it was really fun." I looked at her skeptically thinking I was about to be sleeping in a crude dirty barn. "It's nothing of what your picturing I assure you, in fact it's cleaner then that old house." She said with a laugh, then stopped laughing suddenly and I watched her face fall. She looked so torn, then she hid her face.

We continued down the wooded lane, it was a beautiful place, and I envied Miss Granger for this place she called her home. Then I saw and orchard and asked the surprisingly silent Miss Granger "Did your parents run an orchard?"

"No sir, it used to be an orchard, not anymore, look closer and you'll see that it isn't as kept up as it appears. No my parents were both dentist." She answered like a tired tour guide, which really she was. She scowled as I chuckled at my joke, I wondered why. Then I remembered that I had once made fun of her teeth, and embarrassed her more then she had probably ever been embarrassed, did she think I was laughing at her teeth now because she said her parents were dentist?

I shrugged, I really could care less if she thought I was making fun of her. We kept walking in silence, and I looked up to see the two tops of the Oast towers. No wonder she thought she had found a castle as a girl.

We were almost there when I heard a soft gasp beside me, and Miss Granger ran ahead frantically. I sighed and ran after her.

She rounded the side of the house and instead of going inside like I thought she would she ran to a tree. I came around the corner to see her holding to the tree, and tracing the smooth bark with her fingers.

Finally she pulled herself away from the tree, and I saw tears glittering in her eyes, but she didn't seem sad. I was very curious, and i wanted to know what was on the tree that could make her smile like that. I vowed to return to the tree later and see what was there.

She showed me into the house, and led me up the stairs and to a nice room, she was right this wasn't;t the barn I was expecting. It was simple and... pretty. It was clean, much to the confusion of the mental picture of a ratty old Oast that had formed in my mind. It was pleasantly decorated, with simple clear and white vases, and natural smelling candles. It was clearly the domain of a female. The soft comforting natural hues that covered the walls were warm in contrast to the white trim and white wooden furniture that was through out the house.

Every room had a bookshelf, and every bookshelf was filled with books that you would want to read in that section of the house. In the room I was escorted to there was a selection of books that were fresh and unread. When i picked up a book from a shelf and flipped to the back and read the explanation of the book, I was surprised to find that it was a Romantic novel. I opened the cover and read, Hermione Granger, on the left corner

I laughed at this, thinking that I had found Miss Granger's dirty little secret, she read smut! The perfect Miss Granger had a saucy side! What a little doxi! I turned to the front of the book expecting to see a picture of a scantly dressed woman in the arms of one of those dramatically dressed heroes.

To my disappointment there was a picture of a young woman walking through a park with her head stuck in a book. The name was Pride and Prejudice and I was still intrigued so as I readied for bed, I took the book with me and began to read. The book had promised to be a romance novel, but the author was not some frustrated witch bent up on passion, and... release. No this author was an intelligent person, a thinker, and I liked her humor. She was very sarcastic in a cautious way, and her satirical mind was evident.

The romance of it was subtle, and I couldn't stop reading. My joke was foiled but I was quite happy with finding such a good read in the house. I had to grudgingly admit that I appreciated Miss Granger's taste in literature.

I have always found it odd sleeping in a new place, tonight was just as hard. I tossed and turned and finally fell into the typical night of haunted sleep.

The next mourning I awoke just before the sun was about to rise, I moved from the bed and with a flick of my wand the covers and sheets had righted themselves. I wandered around the room, first opening a door to a closet, and then finding the door to the bathroom, I showered and got ready for the day. Since we would most likely be dealing with muggles, I opted to dress in a more casual fashion. Really I was simply wearing a black shirt and black trousers, all I had done was taken the first couple of layers from my typical outfit.

I sat in one of the small chairs that sat by the bookshelf and windows, and there I started reading where I had left off in Pride and Prejudice. I sat and read until I heard movement in the house, and I knew Miss Granger was finally awake.

It was good that she was, I was beginning to get hungry, and I wanted my tea. I closed the book and placed it on the table beside the chair promising to it in my head that I would be back to finish it soon.

I made my way to the kitchen, following the noise Miss Granger was making the tea that my body was craving. I sat and took the time to look around the kitchen, it was old fashioned, but it was comfortable.

I took the cup she offered with a pleasure, but I of course hid the pleasure with an overcoat of uncaring. I did however give her a nod and a 'thank you', which was more then I could say I gave others.

I had my tea sitting a the tiny table in the kitchen and she stood by the counter. I noticed that her eyes were focused on the gold ring that was on the middle finger of my right hand, the sun was catching the gold making it glitter. She looked almost envious of the ring, and that caught me off guard, surely the girl didn;t want to be a Potions Mistress!?

I thought I had successfully beat the love of potion out of every Gyrffindore that crossed the threshold of my classroom. I pondered that as I watched her turn her focus onto something outside.

After a while she laid the cup down and made for the side door, and left the kitchen. I stood and followed her as far as the door, were I stood and watched her approach Lucas who was heading toward the house.

"Is everything alright Lucas?" She asked as she bent and kissed him, there was that smile of his again, blasted boy, but as he saw me his cheeks went red at the display.

"Everything is fine Aunt Hermione." Aunt Hermione, I wondered where that came from? "it's just that your cats arrived with a note, and their is a man at the house, a Mister Burns looking for you."

"Mr.Burns! Mr.Burns died three years ago!" She cried in alarm.

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Okay I know that some ppl who read this also read the sister story to it wrapped around you finger, well they both end on the same note don't they!? Alright so if you can;t tell Lucas has his own special secret, but I don't think any of you will guess it. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 If Hermione Fell

I stood in the doorway leaning, feeling almost content with the world, and that was blasted from me in the form of two sentences.

"Everything is fine Aunt Hermione."Lucas said quietly to Miss Granger"it's just that your cats arrived with a note, and their is a man at the house, a Mister Burns looking for you."

"Mr.Burns! Mr.Burns died three years ago!" MissGrangercried in alarm.

This mourning was shaping up to be just 'great'. It only became worse when Miss Granger shoot off toward the house like a seeker. I only pause to sigh tiredly before I took off after her, stupid girl, if the 'Mr.Burns' at the house was a Death Eater then she was running once again right into the trap. Blaster Gryffindore's and their 'Act before you think' ways.

It wasn't long before I had caught the girl, and found myself tripping over her and falling to the ground like a fool. I watched her roll away from me and then try to stand and run again. She regained the her ground, but i grabbed her ankle and tripped her again.

I was shocked when her frantic eyes turned to me and I found her wand inches from my face. I scoffed at this, who did she think she was kidding holding a wand to me? I swatted the wand away as if it were a mere trinket. "Calm down!" I yelled at her. She didn't hear me, but she closed her eyes and tried to calm down, but when her eyes snapped open she was even more panicked then before.

Once again Miss Granger tousled and pushed at me, but I held her still and snarled at her "Calm down! If it is a Death Eater then your going to have to put your Gryffindore need of charging in aside, your giving up the advantage of surprise, and they will kill you!"

She calmed down at last and shook her head letting me know she understood.

I pulled myself up and stood over her, looking down into those pitiful big brown eyes was enough to kill me, grudgingly I held out my hand and pulled her up as well.

"We need to see who this 'Mr Burns' really is, so if your quite calm we will sneak into the house." I said pulling out the 'Professor Snape' instead of this softer version her sad eyes were inspiring.

She nodded and seemed to pause and think, she once again looked panicked as she answered "The bas... basement has a window that we can slip into." she looked as if she rater kiss a blast ended skewrt.

I nodded and we made our way to the basement window, where I was quick to unlock it and slip right in. I glanced around and knew we were in the same part of the house her parents had been murdered. I tell you autocratic Readers, that this one step of slipping into the basement through the window was the easiest for me and the hardest for her, I hate to say it but even then her courage was astounding.

I signaled for her to follow and soon saw her feet and then legs drop through the window, I grabbed her to steady her for she is much shorter then I am. She turned and looked at me and knew that if she looked around she would loose herself to her grief. I breathed deep trying my hardest to retain my patience, I knew that I would need her help if it was a Death Eater upstairs.

I grabbed her elbow and holding her gaze I led her through the basement and up the stairs where we stopped to listen at the door. There was loud laughter through the house, and it was only one person laughing highly suspicious to me.

We listened further and again the loud laugh rained through the halls, Miss Granger scared the life out of me by jumping up and screaming "JAMES!?" I stood there a bit shocked as she unbolted the door with wandless magic (not even realising it herself) and ran inside completely forgetting I was alive and called out "James! Is that you!"

"Hermione!" I heard a younger male voice shout.

I followed Miss Granger, slower to be sure, and saw a young man in muggle business attire rush and pick Miss Granger up and spin her around like a lover home from war, I didn't like him.

"Hermione look at you! Your a woman now!" The tall oaf proclaimed, he was obviously blind if he thought the poor scrawny thing was anything like a woman, then again hadn't Draco (who has Malfoy standards) said she was lovely? I growled and threw the thoughts from my head.

I focused on the display in front of me, he might not of been a Death Eater, but this _James_was still untrust worthy.

"And you are an old man!" She said as she pointed to his goatee, and I rubbed mine feeling slightly wounded, if James was an old man then was I ancient to her? What about Dumbledore was he knocking on deaths door?

"Hush you!" he laughed, and I didn't like his laugh at all, it was one of those fake cocky self important laughs, I hated this boy already.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry for your lose. I told your father constantly that he should buy a security system, but I never thought something like this would ever..." I could fell his pity for her from where I was standing, and I knew that it was irking the proud lion to be pitied. "I'm so glad your alright, and I'm so glad to see you."

"Hermione come and sit here in the kitchen, we have much to speak with Mr. Burns about." I heard Madam Granger say, her tone was more grave then I had heard it.

"Yes ma'am." Miss Granger answered respectfully, and she approached her grandmother to share their much loved ritual embrace.

"Did you sleep well." Madam Granger asked in that amazingly strong yet gentle voice of hers.

"No ma'am." Miss Granger answered.

"Now Professor Snape then, how did your rest fare?" she asked turning her head in my direction. Had it been anyone else that was able to do that I would have constantly had a case of the collywobbles, yet from this woman, I felt a mixture of softness and strength missing from most women.

Mr. Burns seemed to find me a threat as he turned and stood between me and Miss Granger with his arms crossed in a defencive stance. What he didn't know was that his defencive stance is the most tell-tale sign of insecurity, as his arms were crossed over his chest not in a aggressive stance but he was hiding himself from me, even if he didn't realize it.

I looked at Mr. Burns to stare at him sensehe had just noticed my presence. He was looking at me as if sizing me up and finding that I came up short, and I gave him the most condescending look I could muster, I hated him and I was pleased when he recoiled a bit. Then I turned and looked to Miss Granger who was blushing and I couldn't help smirk in amusement at her.

"Good mourning Madam Granger, my rest was well when it came to me, how was your sleep? I answered politely to the one person who noticed me standing there, ironically a blind person.

"Sleep seems to be more evasive lately." She smiled. "Come, I believe breakfast is much needed, and some tea." She directed us into the kitchen.

AS I didn't trust this new comer Burns I made sure to be closer to Miss Granger then he was at all times, at the time I regretted doing this because being so territorial created a protective feeling in me for the scrawny Gryfinndore.

Miss Granger refused to let her Grandmother cook again and we all three went to the kitchen. Miss Granger tried to cook unsuccessfully as I was a foot step behind her every move and Burns would shut up about all he had done in the last seven years. I much enjoyed demeaning his accomplishment by making various faces, and was pleased to see that he looked pained every time he caught my face.

Miss Granger finally became exasperated and kicked him out claiming "I can't get anything done!". Surprisingly he smiled and said "Same Ol' Hermione" and left, how easily he was wipped I thought.

Then Miss Granger turned to me. "What are you doing?" She asked raising a brow at me.

"What the Head Master commanded of me, Miss Granger." I answered calmly refusing to be wiped like that dog Burns.

"The Head Master told you to glue yourself to my side?" She asked mockingly, so I was getting on her nerves, huh? How amusing, for me.

"Yes." I said plainly with a nod. "If I feel anyone untrust worthy is afoot." and I did.

"James?" she asked surprised.

"Yes." I nodded again.

"Whats wrong with James?" she inquired a bit wounded.

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling about him, I do not like him." I said and I thought of the laughing we had heard in the basement, that horrible laughter.

"James and I grew up together!" Miss Granger defended.

"It sounds like you haven't had much to do with him in ten years Miss Granger." I said solemnly.

"Well no I haven't, but he was my best friend growing up. And his father was a much loved friend of the family until his death three years ago."

"Why did the two of you stop talking?" I asked with a raised brow, and knew that what ever her answer was it would prove me right.

"I don't..." she was about to say something but he eyes went blurry as she focused on her thought. Clearly suffering a flashback from her PTSD, and of course I unashamedly used Legilimency to see what she was seeing. And I saw everything from her point of view.

**Despite James being five years older then I was we were still friends, James was like a hero to me growing up. He was always hands om, and the smartest boy in his school. Before I was in school I constantly heard James' father bragging on his accomplished son. This inspired me to be as smart as I could be, I began to learn to read and write thinking that being smart would make me as loved as James.**

**When I went to school the teachers were shocked that I could read and write, and I began to receive the same praises that James used to. Mr.Burns was like a Uncle to me, and he was always raving about me and James. He used to insist that James and I would marry when we were older.**

**The more I excelled the more distant James became. The more Mr.Burns admired me the more James avoided me, until over the years James would only come near me if forced.**

**On one of these forced occasions I was ten and playing in the creek, James was sitting a good distance away from me reading, and I would urge him to come join me, and pout when he refused.**

**"James! Look its a turtle! Come see it!" I yelled to him.**

**"No! Leave me alone Hermione! I want to read!" He called back.**

**"Please James!" I begged.**

**"NO! I said I want to read!" he hollered back in anger.**

**I was so upset, I was always trying to please him, and he acted like he hated me. Something snapped and as I clinched my fist by my sides and the book flew from his hand a good ten feet in the air and burst into flame. James screamed and then turned to look at me, he shrieked again and pointed at me, I looked down to see what I would later learn was residue of magic wrapping like blue flames around my hands. It didn't hurt but it was shocking.**

**Even worse was James horrible reaction, "You... you did something bad!" he backed away from me. "Something isn't right with you!" and he turned to run away from me.**

**"James! I... I..." anything I could have said was drowned with tears and sobs.**

**Over the next year more and more signs of magic were obvious. Mr.Burns informed us that he had a cousin who had gone to a school for magic. He seemed obsessed with what I could do, but James refused to come to the house with his father, and the only other times I chanced to meet James he would curse at me, and tell me to leave him and his father alone.**

**Then my Hogwarts letter came, and I jumped at the chance to leave my sad friendless life behind, I was lonely.**

Everything cleared and I looked down into those big brown eyes which were brimming with tears and so pained.

"I haven't remembered that in almost nine years." She said through the tears.

"I can't say that I blame you Miss Granger, but now I understand why I don't like Mr.Burns." I said calmly.

She raised her brow in a silent question, and I was about to elaborate when the dinning room door swung open and a furious James strode through the door.

"Forgive me Hermione, but I believe I will leave now. But first I must inform you that your parents left every detail of there estate in the capable hands of their new Lawyer."

"Who is their Lawyer?" She asked James clearly fighting to hold back the tears in her eyes.

"I am." He answered proudly. "You will need to stop by the office tomorrow and we will go over the will, and all the other things they left in my care. I have scheduled you an appointment at ten o'clock and we will settle things. Good day Hermione." HE said and he crossed to kitchen to give her a kiss on the forehead, and before I could pull him off it was over.

"Good day, James."She said hollowly, and we watched him leave.

"I will go with you tomorrow Miss Granger, but for now you should finish cooking." I said, and now that James was gone I turned and went into the Dinning Room leaving Miss Granger to with her thoughts.

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A/N Hey! I'm back. I thought my week was hard on the last chapter for Wrapped around you finger, but this week I got a new part time job, with full time hours. It's been really hard working everything out, my schedule is nuts. I get up at 6 to take my sister to her school, come home and then go back to bed until 9 then putt around the house until 12 then it's off to work. So I'm trying to work everything out so I can keep writing, but right now there is no time. And I'm just as sad as you guys are about that.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 If Hermione Fell

I don't know if it was cruelty or cowardliness that caused me to abandon the heart broken girl in the kitchen. Miss Granger was lost, and pleading to be found, her eyes shining, almost praying for help from me, and I, the weak man I am, fled.

In the dinning room I found a chair to sit away from everyone, I needed to forget this l interest I had for the girl, it would do me no good. She is and will always be the scrawny, bucked tooth, know-it-all, and nothing more to me.

However my resolve lasted only until Miss Granger brought in the food, in that instant my eyes shot to the door and I watched her walk about the table serving everyone and looking at no one. She was pointedly ignoring me, I would have believed that she thought nothing of me but for the way she glanced close to me and stiffened her back, and walked out proud as a lion.

I knew I was supposed to follow and watch over her but I didn't want to see her. I sat and looked at my food, wondering if she had time to poison it. Leaning closer I took a good whiff, other then the typical muggle over use of sodium it seemed all in order.

"Hermione isn't the type to posion, to take her revenge, " Madam Granger said ,the smile on her face evident in her voice, "she is more likly to face the problem head on if she feels it needs to be dealt with."

"Yes, well, how very Gryffindore of her." I muttered scooping some food onto me fork and taking a bite.

"It's very unwise, you know," she began again smiling fully at me. "to poke a lioness with a stick."

I don't know why but I found I was quite defensive all the sudden, "She needs to learn not to be so sensitive, ma'am" I said knowing that my argument was moot, considering I had rushed into Miss Granger's mind unwelcome and uninvited.

"Hummm, "She breathed seeming to be deliberating her next words, "Diving into minds is a sticky power though, you might not always like what you find."

"Much like the future?" I questioned her with a knowing voice.

"Yes!" she said brightly "Much like the future indeed." she paused and looked more seriously at me, "Speaking of the future, you and I need to talk, alone."

With the word alone the rest of the occupants looked at us but nodded and stood and left the room leaving me with Madam Granger to talk.

"Mr. Burns wants to meet with Hermione today, or tomorrow, whenever she feels up to it." she took a deep breath, "Mr. Burns is up to something." She said, then let out a sigh. "I believe he has had influence over my sons Will. Hermione's meeting with him shall prove of disprove me, I'm honestly hoping I'm wrong and that I've made an error in judging the boy, but I don't think I have."

"Why don't you like him, if you don't mind me asking." I asked.

"Why don't you like him?" she returned steadily.

My mind went immediately to his twisted laugh, then to the way he had grabbed Hermione as if she were his. "I felt something was off with him, then I looked into Miss Granger's mind and saw how he treated her, I think somethings wrong with his sudden change in behaviour toward her."

"Yes I believe that as well. From what I've heard from my own lawyer, young Mr.Burns has had so much influence over that Will ,so much so that Hermione may be penniless."

"If you will excuse me I think I need to go talk with Miss Granger." I said standing and preparing to leave.

"Don't be so cold shouldered with her, you may find that the two of you have more in common then you could have imagined."

I scowled at that and walked out.

I left the house, and made my way down the old dirt road to the small Oast. If Miss Granger was truly penniless then she would loose everything. Her family home would be taken, all of her parents things, even the gifts such as jewelry, no one cared if they were keep sakes, they just would want their money. Plus she would never be able to afford schooling. I growled at that thought, I had been tough on her to push her further then the others, she could handle it, she could be the first Potions Mistress to Britain in 60 year.

Potions Mistresses are few and far between, becoming a true Potions Mistress is one of the hardest accomplishments for a witch. I rubbed the bridge of my nose in frustration. I was angry with Miss Granger, she had effectively ruined her own live. She had to do the Gryffindore thing and turn Miss Parkinson in, if she would have just left it to the faculty and kept her nose out of it then she would be fine but no she had to be "honorable".

My foot falls began to sound more determinded as my mind focused on the anger. Then I looked up ahead and saw the Oast, and Miss Granger.

She was holding the boy Lucas, humming and swaying to the tune of the music in her head. She was comforting him, and smiling.

I wanted to watch, as is my fashion, I wanted to see the way other humans treat each other, without hate. I couldn't disrupt the moment she was having.

After a short while she sat on the stairs still holding Lucas, who seemed to have fallen asleep.

She just sat there holding onto the boy and crying silently to herself. She was helping the boy, but not looking for help in return, what an odd female. In all my years teaching it always seemed that the female student body when in emotional distress flocked about each other screeching with there high pitched voices.

I sighed a bit disappointed that I wasn't as mad as I had been, and moved forward as silently as possible. Miss Granger was so vulnerable, she hadn't even heard my approach, had she not learned anything from DADA?

"Here Miss Granger, I'll take him inside now." I said towering over her.

She opened her eyes swiftly and looked up at me, her eyes got a bit softer and that made me recoil and harden, no one looked at _me_ like that.

I took Lucas, and laid him down, I told Miss Granger to follow me, that I needed to talk to her.

Once she finally sat down I informed her that she had a meeting with Mr.Burns today, she looked a bit apprehensive, and I informed her of her Grandmothers fears.

She looked as if she were going to argue but thought twice about it and replied, "I can't truly judge him until after the meeting. Should we get ready now?" she asked.

"Is that what you want Miss Granger?" I asked in an annoyed tone indicating the fact that I could care less if she went to the moon.

"I want to get it over with." She said and then excused herself so she could prepare.

For my part I took off my cloak, black trousers never go out of style, and a plain collared white linen shirt passes easily enough in the muggle world.

Miss Granger came down stairs wearing a black a-line skirt and a nice short sleeve white top with a large black belt around her waist over the shirt, muggle fashion ever changing.

"We have to drive you know." she said as she ajusted her skirt.

"Do you have a car?" I asked raising a brow at her.

"Yes, come on we need to walk back to the house."

And that, my friends, is how I found myself the passenger in a death trap, with the tiny scrawny Miss Granger driving, barely able to see over the wheel, yet driving like an old pro.

My blood pressure I assure you doubled in that ten minute trip. I've never been so happy to stop and step out of anything, even the Knight Bus is less of a thrill ride. "I don't care if your insurance doesn't cover me, I'm driving back." I scowled at the giggling little witch.

The little outburst of hers didn't last long as we heard a call "Hermione!"

My skin had an immediate response to the voice, crawling and cringing, breathing deep I turned to see Mr.Burns smiling to Miss Granger, and then scowling at me, clearly disappointed that I was there. That made me happy.

He led us into his 'large' office clearly trying to impress upon us how 'large' it was. "About half the size of my office wouldn't you say Miss Granger?" Miss Granger being clueless to Mr.Burns ego hanging on the line answered agreeing with me, thus allowing me to show up Mr.Burns quite easily.

We sat in the two chairs in front of the desk opposite Mr.Burns who was fishing through his draw and pulling out a key and a few folders.

"Now Hermione, the Will is in a lock box in the firms vault. I have the key here in an envelope and I will now transfer the key to you the rightful owner." He smiled as if forgetting the reason why she was the new owner, Miss Granger sat starring at her hands. I don't think she wanted the key or the Will at all.

He moved the key from the envelope and pushed it into her unopened hands, "Come on Hermione, grow up." he sighed.

I watched tears raise in her eyes but she didn't let them spill.

"If you will be so kind Mr.Burns, just wait for your new client to compose herself until _she_ is ready to look at the Will, not when_ your_ready." I said gritting my teeth at his being so unseemly in this moment, even I know better.

"Yes." he said curtly looking at me, "of course."

We were soon in the vault and starring at three walls of steel cubicles made into the wall, each with it's own door and lock. Truly foolish to keep things together in such a way, increases the risk and success of thievery, muggles.

Hermione read the number on the key and moved to cubicle 42, she slowly slide the key into the keyhole and twisted it silently and gently pulled the tray out. The tray that contained information that would ruin her life.

* * *

A/N It's been so long anyone miss me? I'm really trying to find time but it's hard, I'm sorry it took so long.


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